Improvement in bill-files



rvrrnn STATES An'rmv'r rrron.

ELDRIDGE J.` SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BILL-FILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,938, dated December 22,1874; application filed May 29, 1874.

To all whom yit may concern:

Be it known that I, ELDRIDGE J. SMITH, of Washington city, in the county of Washington and District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Im pro vements in Bill-Files; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved paper-le holder. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation, as indicated by the dotted lines x :c of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a top view, showing lid or cover removed. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, showing lid removed and lever clamping-plate tilted backward.

Like letters in all the figures of the drawings indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is to construct a paper-file holder capable of holding the files or papers in such a manner that the indorsements on the whole length of the le can be readily seen without rasing up or removing the iile from the holder; also, that by means of a removable sliding lid arranged to inclose the top of the holder, having square ends in stead of triangular sides7 as heretofore, the

' files can be kept perfectly free from dust and insects, and if desired the said lid can be secured by a lock and key to keep the les perfectly private, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The holder is made of a longitudinal shape to allow the iiles to lie` sidewise instead of in an upright position, so that the indorsements on the file can be as u,readily seen at the bottom as at the top thereof. Heretofore the upright position ofthe illes was such that only the indorsements at the top portions of the iiles could be seen when the holder was full, or even partially so, renderingit necessary therefore to remove the files in order to clearly see the indorsements below that point or at the bottom of the same, which is objectionable, and which it is the object of this invention to remedy.

The holder consists of the base A and stationary upright plate B, having square end plates C C, provided with grooves a a, to receive the removable sliding lid D, having tongues to it the grooves and a lever clamping-plate, E. A cast metallic brace, b, having angular projections c c, with inwardly-projecting lugs or pins, is attached centrally to the back of plate E, with the angular projections under the bottom edge thereof, and toward the stationary upright plate grooves d d are made transversely in the base to receive the said angular projections, the lugs of which project under the projecting edges of a'sheetmetal plate, e, riveted or screwed to the base between the grooves, and bent down over the edge of the base to keep the angular projections of the brace from coming out of the grooves, and also to form a support or bearing for the lugs to allow the plate to be tilted backward, (see Fig. 4) the edge of the base at the ends of the grooves being beveled off, so that the files can be inclined to one side to exhibit fully the indorsements thereon.

The brace referred to is constructed somewhat in the form of a horseshoe, having shoulder h, which catches and binds upon the sheetmetal plate when the lever clamping-plate is pressed aga-inst the papers to clamp them, the lugs catching and binding upon the under side of the sheet-metal plate at the same time, as will be fully described hereafter in the operation of the device. The brace has also a projectin g lip, m, which serves as a handle to operate the lever clamping-plate. The an gular projections of the brace are made wide enough apart to compensate for the leverage of the plate E longitudinally.

It will be seen that with a paper-file holder thus constructed, having the liles or papers inclosed all around, dust and insects are entirely excluded, and if desired the lid can be secured by a lock and key, and the top of the lever clam ping-plateE by a stripm, or ange attached to the under side of the lid, the lock s being attached to the inner side and at the top of the stationary upright, thus cutting oft' all access to the papers, so that a holder containing important papers can be left on a desk or table without the liability of any one inspecting them. This holder is of a more desirable form than those now in use, as it can be laid in any position on a table and can be made to t the pigeon-hole of any ordinary iile-case.

The operation of the device is as follows: The papers, being placed in the holder against the stationary upright plate, are securely clamped by pressing forward upon the lower part of the lever clamping-plate, and the holder is automatically locked by the lugs catching against the under part of the sheetmetal plate, the shoulder of the brace catching and binding upon the said plate at the same time, which is caused by the outward pressure of the papers forcing backward the upper part of theY lever clamping-plate. The papers are readily unclamped by pressing forward upon the upper part of the lever clamping-plate, which releasesY the lugs and shoulder, and allows the lever clamping-plate to be moved backward.

ELDRID GE J. SMITH.

Witnesses:

W. BURR-Is, A. K. PARRIs. 

